


A Perfect Day

by colls



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Apocalypse, F/M, Fall Fandom Free For All, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-16
Updated: 2011-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 04:03:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colls/pseuds/colls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Fall Fandom Free-For-All prompt of "Sam/Teal'c - apocafic of some form where it is just the two of them"<br/>Set while Sam is in command of Atlantis, sometime after episode 4x17 'Midway'. Teal'c returns for another visit. Implied character death of everyone in the Pegasus Galaxy with the exception of Sam and Teal'c.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Perfect Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [openended](https://archiveofourown.org/users/openended/gifts).



The chevrons on the Atlantis gate lit up as the scheduled connection with Earth came through. Sam waited at the bottom of the stairs, fidgeting a bit as the gate technicians went through their sequence of security protocols.

A few moments later, SGC personnel and supplies began emerging through the gate. She nodded at familiar faces as they were greeted by Atlantis personnel. When the last person emerged through the gate, her face broke into a wide smile.

“Teal'c!” She greeted, as she walked over to him and quickly gave him a welcoming hug.

“Colonel Carter.”

“Welcome back to Atlantis. I'm so glad you could visit again so soon.”

“I did not wish to pass up an opportunity to see you again.”

Sam leaned back and smile grew wider. “And I hear congratulations are in order!”

Teal'c beamed. “Kar'yn claims that bringing forth their child will be like a difficult battle, one she is well prepared for. Ry'ac seems to be in agreement with her in all things these days.”

Sam laughed. “I understand that pending fatherhood can do that to some.”

 

****

They gated to the Atlantis Expedition's new alpha site. Sam wanted to show Teal'c the old buildings the botany team had found about seven miles from the gate. True, old buildings were usually more Daniel's thing, but these reminded her of Chulak. Besides, the planet had a temperate climate and it had been particularly beautiful lately. The gate and base were situated in a valley, protected from sea winds that blew from the east. She thought it would be a good place for a hike and they could camp at the old town; relax a bit and catch up.

After checking in with the alpha site commander, Sam and Teal'c began walking out of the valley. Perfect white clouds were sparsely scattered over a bright blue sky and the sun hung high. A light breeze blew through the trees and the sound of song birds greeted them every now and then. Sam was tempted to declare it a perfect day.

Sam and Teal'c spent much of the hike in quiet company. Sam reflected on her relationships with her former teammates along the way. O'Neill with whom she'd had such a tumultuous emotional history with, had helped her solidify her military command style. While it hadn't been said in so many words, he helped her understand that she didn't have to be “the man” in order to... well, be “the man”. He accepted her skills on the basis of her skills and not on her gender, and thankfully ignored her initial comment about reproductive organs all the time.

Daniel was her go-to guy for geeking out – he still was, despite him being a soft-science scientist and her being a hard-science scientist. The combination of their talents had made them such a good team and she missed his input these days. Jonas had been enthusiastic and she admired him as well, but her connection with him never really matched her friendship with Daniel.

Her relationship with Cam was an easy one, fitting in together like long lost friends, she found herself quick to smile in his company. She still looked forward to his emails and banter about sports she really didn't follow and SGC gossip she pretended not to care about.

And then there was Vala. Sam couldn't help but smile when she thought of Vala. The woman was a breath of fresh air and at moments entirely terrifying because you didn't know what she'd do next. And wow, could that woman shop! It'd been a while since Sam had a close female friend. If she were honest with herself, she'd say she was kind of avoiding it until Vala marched into her life, giving her no choice.

There were often few words between her and Teal'c. He was a quiet, solid presence in her life that didn't require a lot of fuss. After Jacob had died, Teal'c would sit quietly in her lab while she worked herself into exhaustion. He would allow her to cry on his shoulder without judging her, he wouldn't say a word when she ate four chocolate bars, and he wouldn't tell her what to do – unlike some folks who kept trying to tell her to go home, to take time off, etc. When she did finally burn out, Teal'c is the one who took her home and camped out on her couch watching Star Wars while she slept for twelve hours straight.

They were almost to the abandoned buildings when Sam pointed to an outcropping that overlooked the valley they had just hiked from. “I'm pretty sure you can see the base from here.”

Teal'c joined her and they rested for a while, enjoying the view. Sam unwrapped a Power Bar and passed half of it to Teal'c who accepted it with a nod of his head.

 

****

Hours later, after exploring the town a bit, they began to set up camp. They were debating the best place for a campfire when a panicked voice came over Sam's radio. Being so far from the alpha site, the reception was spotty. Sam caught the words 'evacuation', 'attack', and 'wraith'.

She walked away from the building towards a courtyard, hoping for better reception. “Alpha base, this is Colonel Carter. Come in.”

She shared a concerned look with Teal'c. “Alpha base. Do you copy?”

“Colonel Carter, this is Major Stephens. Atlantis attempted an evac. Evac unsuccessful. We are under attack. Repeat. We are under attack. Wraith darts...”

“Major Stephens. Come in.”

Teal'c quickly packed what little they had brought with them and they began the journey back to the alpha site.

Seeing smoke from a distance and unable to raise anyone on the radio, they approached the base location carefully. It was crawling with Wraith, although they seemed to be leaving. Sam and Teal'c watched as the Wraith finished their sweep of the area, destroying pretty much everything they couldn't steal, and eventually left through the gate.

Night had fallen. Sam and Teal'c waited to insure the Wraith were really gone. They kept watch in shifts, sitting up with their backs to each other. It was a familiar routine from past missions and Sam was able to drift into a light sleep, although she doubted Teal'c did.

In the morning, they investigated the remains of the alpha base and attempted to dial Atlantis. Sam concentrated on trying to figure out if the connection problem was on their end while Teal'c gathered and inventoried any weapons the Wraith might have left behind. This was mostly coordinated with glances and nods, neither of them finding the need for words.

A few hours later, Teal'c gently touched her shoulder. “We should tend to the dead.”

Sam nodded and stood to help with the unpleasant task. The bodies had been so mummified that Sam would've have been able to identify most of them if they hadn't been wearing dog tags. When they were finished, Sam felt drained. Teal'c made her drink some water and eat part of a MRE before she laid down.

“Don't wander off too far.” Sam murmured as she drifted off.

“I will remain here.” And he did. Sam could feel his presence sitting beside her like a protective force field set to a perfectly tuned EMF ratio. Or like a guardian angel if she was feeling fanciful. She slept and trusted his presence to keep her from dreaming about the events of the day.

 

****

Unable to dial Atlantis, they decided to try another address. Gating to a planet once filled with allies, Sam and Teal'c found another decimated world. They searched for several days and Sam used what limited equipment she had to try and scan the surrounding area. They found no one.

The same scenario was repeated on four other worlds. Sam approached the DHD to begin dialing yet another world when an incoming wormhole was activated. She and Teal'c quickly ran away from the clearing, keeping watch on the gate from behind cover, weapons drawn.

Five wraith passed through the gate, one seemed to be injured. Four had masks over their faces, while one with a long black coat seemed to be in charge. He moved to the DHD and dialed another address and nodded to one of the others who held his arm in the wormhole to keep it open.

The remaining Wraith descended on the injured one, feeding on him. Sam struggled not to look away. Teal'c remained still and watchful, vigilant. The four Wraith eventually left through the open gate, leaving their victim where he had fallen.

Sam and Teal'c carefully walked towards the gate, weapons ready and pointed towards the fallen Wraith.

They needn't have bothered. The Wraith was dead, his life source sucked out by his fellow Wraith. “They must be desperate if they're resorting to cannibalism.” Sam commented.

When they did leave, they gate-hopped three addresses and left a handful of false leads. The Wraith probably had no clue they were around, but they didn't want any surprises.

 

****

Days slid into weeks. They settled into a routine of sorts, one of searching for survivors and supplies coupled with periods of rest.

Sam's knowledge of gate addresses wasn't as vast in this galaxy as it had been in the Milky Way. By the time the second month rolled around, they'd been to each address she could remember. During times of rest she'd often pull out a battered laptop that she'd salvaged from the alpha site and attempt repairs. She didn't hold out much hope though, she lacked parts and the hard drive seemed fused to the motherboard anyway.

On nice days, Sam would strip and bathe in the cool stream, not bothering to worry about proper behavior at all. At night, Sam would tuck herself into the crook of Teal'c's arm where she could sleep soundly and without dreams. By the time they first kissed, they'd been sleeping together for three months.

Teal'c was a gentle lover, as Sam had suspected he would be. Sam was the needy one, grasping and clawing at him with an urgency that she couldn't control.

Sometimes they'd go days without speaking, communicating instead in glances and gestures. They fell into a routine of searching, scavenging and repairing. Sam continued to try to find alternate addresses, Teal'c continued to stand guard.

“I think it's Christmas.” Sam blurted out one rainy morning while they were preparing breakfast.

Teal'c looked up at her, watched her calm movements. “You rarely celebrated the holiday while on Earth. I did not think you believed in your god.”

“Christmas isn't about God.” Sam paused. “OK, well maybe it is. I just... it's about family and friends and making it through the winter. Or...” she waved a hand, “something like that. It's about wondering what sort of decorations Walter is going to put up in the conference room and who spiked the egg nog.”

“I thought Christmas was when the son of your god was born.”

Sam frowned. “Well, some people feel that's more of a metaphor.”

Teal'c seemed to consider this for a moment. “My grandchild is likely being born any day now. Perhaps born on your holiday.”

“Oh, Teal'c.” Sam stood and wrapped her arms around him. “I'm so sorry.”

“While we may never meet, I am comforted by the fact that my grandchild is born free and is not beholden to false gods.”

“Then I am comforted, too. And I'll imagine that he or she has inherited your smile and kind eyes.”

“And perhaps their grandmother's tempter, and father's sense of humor.” Teal'c added.

They spent the rest of the day imagining what their friends and loved ones were doing now, what sort of celebrations they were having and inventing SGC gossip. Life, of a sort, went on.

.end.


End file.
